Kiss the Bride
by rika08
Summary: October 4, 2011. You are cordially invited to the Wedding of Lady Emily Merchant to Lord Zacharias Sellar. Doesn anything ever go according to plan? Matt/Emily
1. Chapter 1

In the years of working at the ARC, Matt Anderson had yet to work without his team. Yes, there were times we he was separated from his team, working on his own, but they'd known where he was and he knew where they were. There were no solo missions to speak of, nothing at work that would ever exclude all members of the team-including team meetings-yet there he was, sitting in his lab, knowing that he was alone for the next two days. The feelings that came with that knowledge were…uncomfortable to him. Just as uncomfortable as to the reason of the teams absence.

Matt sighed to himself and reached across his desk. He dug beneath the piles of reports he'd finished yesterday. Lester, like to others, was out as well, so his reports still remained-and would continue to remain- on his desk for another few days. Matt found what he was looking for and pulled it out. It was a clean, white, heavy envelope. He easily lifted the lip open and reached into it, pulled out its contents.

Inside was a single sheet of cardstock paper. The paper was a faded white with a pale yellow ribbon glue in the center. Over the yellow ribbon was another piece of paper, trimmed in lace. On the top left corner and bottom right corner, three small pearls were glues to the paper. On the center paper, Matt let his eyes scan over the gracefully written words;

_Emily Merchant_

_and_

_Zacharias Sellar_

_Request the honor of your_

_Presence_

_At their marriage_

_On Tuesday, the fourth of_

_October_

_Two thousand and eleven_

_At four o'clock_

He'd read the invitation thousands of times since the day he'd received it, but still it didn't seem real to him. It didn't seem right. Emily was getting married tomorrow afternoon. Being part of the wedding party, the others were obligated to be at the site for the rehearsal and the ceremony, leaving Matt alone at the ARC for the next two days. Not that Matt had been excluded from the wedding, no. He'd politely declined the offer to be a part of the wedding party. There was something about being a groomsman to the man-whom he'd never met- who would marry an ex-lover that didn't feel right. Besides, someone was needed to ensure the ARC was still standing after the wedding.

A familiar alarm sounded, pulling Matt from his thoughts of Emily's wedding. Matt mentally thanked God for the first time for an anomaly. He tossed the invitation back onto his desk and rose from his chair. He moved fast through the corridors to the Hub. Red lights faded in and out every few seconds as the alarm continued to ring. Matt entered the hub and headed for the ADD. Jess was nowhere near replacing, but it was good to know there were people other than herself and Connor who could operate the system without difficulty.

"You're not going to like this, sir." Said the tech.

"Where is it?" Matt asked.

"Very far north." He answered. "It would take too long to reach it by car."

Matt nodded. "Guess now's as good a time as any to test the company's new vehicle."

"Captain Becker will be less than happy to hear about that." The tech said.

"Well, Becker's not here to test it, is he?" Matt asked. He turned to leave for the elevator.

"No sir. I'll have the jet standing by for you." He said.

* * *

><p>let the fun begin :)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Matt turned the wheel of the rental explorer down the secluded road. The tech had sent him the coordinates while Matt had still been in the air. Already, he disliked his solo mission. The trees surrounding the road cleared as Matt reached the coordinates. Matt stepped on the breaks as he gazed at the structure in front of him. Something had to be wrong.

"Are you sure these are the coordinates?" Matt asked.

"_Yes sir. I checked several times."_ The tech replied.

_Damn._ Matt cursed. He stepped the gars again, continuing toward the castle. He directed the vehicle near one of the side entranced and shut down the car. Matt climbed out and grabbed his EMD from the back of his car. Matt looked up at the castle structure of Wedderburn. The castle where the wedding was taking place tomorrow.

The castle didn't look any different from his last visit a few years ago, save for the weather. The pale stones reached high above the ground. The four leveled castle was still as majestic as ever. The window panes were clean as the rain fell from the glass. The roof was accented in small rises ever few feet. The four points of the castle held four towers, giving the castle the fourth story. From the side entranced, Matt could see the interior decorations already taking place through the window. He jogged up the stairs and through the doors.

Matt entered into an unoccupied section of the castle. The halls were silent as Matt moved through the castle. He followed the directions of the portable detector through the castle. He watched for any signs of occupants and creatures. But as he moved through the castle, he found nothing. Matt took the stairs up to the next few floors, finding more occupants. But they seemed preoccupied too notice Matt as he moved through the section. He moved up through the levels without any problems. He walked out on the roof, where the coordinates of the anomaly directed. He walked on the rooftop, looking for the anomaly.

"A little late, don't you think?" asked a voice.

Matt turned his head. Standing- well leaning actually- several meters from him was Becker. His arms were folded in front of his chest. It was rare him in anything but black, so his worn jeans and dark green shirt beneath his leather jacket was different. Matt noticed the holster on Becker's belt, with a weapon. On the roof beside Becker's foot was an activated sealing device.

"The RSVP date expired almost a month ago, but I'm sure Emily can make the exception." Becker said.

"Can't take a day off Becker?" Matt asked. He started walking toward Becker.

"Frankly an inventory day is more thrilling than this." Becker replied.

Matt smirked. He spotted the anomaly several meters from Becker. "How long ago did you find it?"

"About an a hour ago." Becker answered.

"Creatures?"

Becker shook his head. "None that I've seen."

Matt sighed. "Doesn't mean something hasn't come through yet. What's the era?"

Becker turned and knelt next to the device. "That's odd."

"What?" Matt asked.

Becker looked up. "The device isn't registering an era."

Matt frowned. "That can't be." He moved dropped to his knees beside Becker. He looked at the calculator on the device. The red numbers read: **error**.

"What in the hell can cause this?" Becker asked.

Matt shook his head. "I'm not sure. But Connor might know. Where is he?"

"East wing, first floor with the others. They're finishing the set up before the rehearsal." Becker answered.

Matt pulled out his cell phone and dialed Connor's number.

"Becker? We're starting the rehearsal." Called another voice.

Matt froze. His eyes rose from the roof toward Becker. Becker's gaze was fixed behind Matt, toward the roofs entrance. Matt turned and looked over his shoulder, in the direction Becker was watching. Walking on the rooftop searching for Becker was the bride-to-be. Her dark brown curls were pulled into a loose pony, leaving a few strands to bounce alongside her face as she walked. Her body was wrapped in an off the shoulder burgundy sweater with a slight wrap around her shoulders. She wore jeans that were made for her figure, flattering her curved hips. The slimming legs of her jeans were tucked into the dark brown cuffed boots. Her steps echoed as she walked across the roof, searching for Becker.

Emily tuned her head, spotting Becker and Matt. Surprise filled Emily's face. "Matt?"

Matt and Becker rose from the roof. Matt still held his phone, waiting for Connor to answer.

Emily frowned as she walked toward them. "What are you doing here? I thought that-" her sentence trailed off as her eyes caught sight of the sealed anomaly behind the men. Utter horror overtook her surprise. "Oh my god. Did a creature slip through?"

"We're not sure, but there haven't been any signs yet." Becker explained.

"Do you have any idea what might've slipped through?" Emily asked.

Matt closed his phone. "No. The calculator's not reading any timeline. Connor's not answering his phone, where is he?"

"Uh he's-he's downstairs with the others. We're about to start rehearsal." Emily explained.

Matt nodded. He walked around her toward the roof entrance. "Look, you're going to have to postpone the rehearsal for a little while. At least until Connor's had a chance to look over the equipment."

Emily turned and followed behind Matt. "I can't postpone the rehearsal Matt. Henrietta's already being irrational."

Matt looked at her and frowned. "Who?"

"Groom's mum." Becker answered.

"Oh." Matt said. He opened the roof door and started down the stairs back into the castle. "Look if a creature came through that anomaly before Becker sealed it, you're going to have a bigger problem than your irrational mother-in-law."

"Future mother-in-law. And I am well aware of the dangers here, Matt." Emily replied. "But Zacharias and his family only know a fraction of my life and my previous job. You happen to be a part of that."

"Thanks for the inclusion." Matt said.

"My point is that if you go barging into the ceremony hall when no one was expecting to see you here, it's going to cause even more problems." Emily explained.

"Well it's not a wedding without a few complications." Matt replied.

Emily grabbed Matt's arm and stopped him in the hall just above the descending staircase to the second floor. "I'm serious, Matt. Everyone is already nervous as it is. Let me go down and find Connor. I'll explain that Becker requires Connor's help and send up to the roof. That way no one is suspicious and Connor takes a look at the device."

"Emily?"

Emily, Matt, and Becker all looked down quickly. At the base of the staircase stood-who Matt could only assume was-the groom. He was fairly tall, possibly as tall as Becker. His skin tone was darker, giving an Asian hint to him. Possibly going back several generations. His hair was black, trimmed, and well mannered. His jeans were a dark blue and well kept. His dark read polo was tucked into his jeans. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he shifted glances between Matt and Emily.

"Zacharias." Emily gasped.

Zacharias took his hands from his pocket and walked up the stairs. "Darling what's going on? Who's this?"

"Matt Anderson." Matt answered.

Zacharias frowned slightly. "Emily's previous boss and partner. I thought you'd said he declined?"

Emily nodded.

"Yeah I did, but we have a situation going on." Matt answered.

"Darling, could you find Connor and have him meet us on the roof?" Emily asked.

Zacharias nodded." Yes, of course. And I'll let my mother know we'll have to postpone the rehearsal for a little while."

Emily smiled. "Thank you."

Zacharias smiled as he turned back down and descended the stairs.

Matt turned back toward Emily.

Emily looked to Matt. "What?"

"Your fiancé accepted that a little too easily." Matt said.

Emily folded her arms in front of her body. "And the problem with that being what?"

Matt leaned against the railing. "Just what did you tell him about your previous employment?"

"We're bounty hunters." Becker answered. "In a sense."

"I told him that we work with the government to apprehend dangerous fugitives." Emily explained.

Matt lifted his brow. "You told him we're bounty hunters?"

"It was the closest occupation I could find without telling him the truth. And that's basically what your job is." Emily replied. "What else was I supposed to tell him?"

"You couldn't come up with anything better?" Matt asked.

"This team isn't exactly a traditional work group in any setting, Matt." Emily explained. "Look at the contrasts between Jess and Becker. You can't honestly believe they work together without their occupation being out of the ordinary."

Matt shook his head. "Some story, Emily." He turned and headed back up to the roof.

"Look I know it wasn't the best story, but how else was I supposed to explain my friendship with such a variety of coordinated people?" Emily asked.

"To be fair, it wasn't even Emily's idea." Becker said. "It was Connor."

Matt turned. "And you agreed to this?"

Becker shrugged. "Considering the circumstances it was the best option."

Matt shook his head and turned again.

"What does it matter what I told Zacharias, Matt? If I recall, you didn't seem to mind what story I told him." Emily said.

"That was probably before an anomaly opened on the roof." Becker answered.

"Shut it, Becker." Matt snapped. He pushed open the door back to the roof.

"Look, it's not like the story matters. The only reason I told him anything about working with them is because his mother asked." Emily explained. "Zacharias was perfectly content with my telling him I worked for the government."

Matt turned around and faced Emily. "Well that makes perfect sense. Tell your future mother-in-law that we're all bounty hunters. I'm sure that impressed her."

"Would you stop mocking me?" Emily snapped.

Connor entered the roof. "Hey, Zach said there was somethin' goin' on up here."

Matt looked away from Emily. "The calculator's not giving us a date."

Connor frowned. "That can't be."

"Well it is." Becker said.

Connor walked around them to the device. He dropped to his knees and started inspecting his device. "Oh, Emily, you might want to head back to the ceremony hall. I don't Jess can take much more of Zach's mum."

Emily nodded and headed back toward the roof entrance.

"Is it possible it's just not working?" Becker asked.

Connor shook his head. "Not a chance, I ran a diagnostic on it before we left."

"So why can't we get a time?" Matt asked.

Connor looked to the anomaly. He swallowed nervously and looked back down at the calculator.

"Connor?" Matt asked.

Connor looked up nervously. "This is just a theory but…the anomaly could lead to the future. That's the one timeline I wasn't able to configure into my calculator."

"Could there be another reason?" Matt asked.

Connor shrugged. "Possibly, but that's the only reason that I can think of that would explain this. We've dealt with conflicting timelines before, but the calculator always had a way of depicting them. Here, there's nothing. The only conclusion I can think of is that the anomaly leads to the future."

Becker shook his head. "Great."

Connor rose from the roof. "Has there been a creature sighting yet?"

Matt shook his head. "Nothing yet, but that might be because everyone's inside and not outside."

"If a predator came through, wouldn't they be able to sense the heartbeats, or any sounds, through the stone?" Becker asked.

"Not necessarily." Matt answered. "We managed to hold them back with heavily shielded compounds. If the stone is thick enough, the predators won't be able to sense any food nearby."

"And I'm pretty sure someone would have noticed a giant bug slipping through." Connor said.

Becker nodded and sighed. "So what now?"

Matt folded his arms in front of his chest. "There's no telling if anything came through or not. Unfortunately we can't get a team up here for at least a few hours."

Connor whistled. "Can you imagine what Henrietta's reaction would be?"

Becker shook his head. "Frankly I don't want to think about it. As much as we need to maintain a low profile up here, we can't risk anything coming through. What's the soonest you can get a team up here?"

"Three hours, maybe four." Matt explained. "An hour back to base, an hour back, and the drive could take another hour or two."

Becker winced. "Four hours is a massive time loss up here."

Matt nodded. "Unfortunately it's all we've got. If anything came through, it'd be too dangerous to search without backup. Are there any guests arriving tonight?"

Becker shook his head. "No. No one but the wedding party is staying here tonight. Everyone else arrive tomorrow."

"Henrietta's idea." Connor stated.

Matt nodded. "So all we have to do is make sure everyone stays inside until backup arrives."

Suddenly thunder rumbled loudly above them. The clouds had grown dark, blocking out the sun entirely.

"Which could take even longer." Becker stated.

"Let's get inside and find the others." Matt said.

* * *

><p>and breath...next chapter :)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Becker and Connor led Matt back down to the first floor. After several turns down numerous corridors, they came to east wing. The hall was decorated for the wedding. Blankets of lace and satin hung in front of the windows, hiding the now stormy weather outside. The tables were dressed in satin and lace, bearing different varieties of flowers in trumpet shaped vases. Dried flower petals decorated the tops of the tables.

Becker pushed open the door, which happened to lead into the ceremony hall. The hall had been completely decorated. The pews held small floral arrangements in a variety of purple shades. Dark green ribbon connected each arrangement to the next, contrasting to the flowers. The pews were even covered in silk sheets to ensure every last one matched. The aisle was lined with a linen cloth leading to the alter. The back windows were covered with white silk and lace sheets, just as the previous hall was. The alter was slightly elevated from the ground, but two steps.

The others were congregated at the base of the alter. Emily and Zacharias were situated near the center. Emily's arms were folded in front of her body, looking rather uncertain. Zacharias had his arm wrapped around Emily's waist. Matt fought the jealous feeling rising in his chest. Beside Zacharias stood his parents. His father was the same height as Zacharias. His dark hair slightly graying at the roots. His face was thin, like his body figure. Beside him stood Henrietta. She was much shorter than Zacharias and Emily, but still taller than Jess. Her dark hair was pulled up and neatly set. She wore a dark dress and matching shoes. Her lips were pressed firmly together, clearly unhappy with the delay of the rehearsal. Even as first appearance, Matt suddenly found himself unnerved by her.

Jess, Abby, and Jenny stood off to the side in their own conversation. Abby's arms were folded in front of her chest. Her bottom lip was partially sucked into her mouth while she looked at the ground in thought. She didn't seem fazed by the glanced Henrietta cast in Abby's direction. Matt could only assume they were caused by Abby's yellow off the shoulder blouse, torn jeans, and scuffed boots. Jess stood between Abby and Jenny. Her hands were placed in front of her, clasped in one another. Her reddish brown hair was pulled neatly into a neat braid that fell against her back. She wore a short bright blue dress and red heels. Her face looked nervous as her gaze shifted from Emily to the others. Jenny stood with one hand propping up her chin. her eyes were trained on Jess and Abby, but she appeared to be listening in on the other conversation. Abby was the first to notice their return. Her gaze quickly fell on Matt, causing her to frown. One by one the others noticed their return before they reached the alter.

"Everything taken care of?" Zacharias asked.

Matt nodded. "More or less."

"You caught your suspect?" Zacharias' father asked.

"Not yet, but we have reason to believe they're still in the area." Becker answered. "You'd do best to warn the staff and attendants not to go outside alone."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with my team for a moment." Matt said.

"Just a moment. Who exactly are you?" Henrietta demanded.

Matt looked at her. "Name's Matt Anderson, ma'am. And I'm just doing my job."

Zacharias nodded. "They suspect a fugitive's on the premises, mother."

"Surely it isn't that hard to catch one man." Henrietta replied.

"You'd be surprised." Connor mumbled.

Henrietta glared at him.

"Ma'am, not every person is the same. Some are smarter and take more caution to apprehend. If you want your son's wedding to go as planned tomorrow, you'll stay out of my way and let me do my job." Matt said.

Henrietta held Matt's glare for a moment. She turned from him and walked down the aisle toward the doors.

"Leonard Sellar. If there's anything you need, just let me know." He said.

Matt nodded. Leonard walked past Matt and followed his wife out of the hall.

"I should warn the staff." Zacharias said. He turned to Emily. "Coming?"

"I'll be along shortly." Emily answered.

Zacharias nodded and followed his parents out of the hall. Matt waited until he was certain they were a good ways from the room.

"What's goin' on?" Abby asked. "You said you weren't coming."

"An anomaly opened on the roof." Matt explained.

Jess nodded. "My portable detector picked it up. But it's sealed right?"

"Yeah, but we have a bigger problem than that. The calculator didn't read any timeline at all." Matt replied.

"How can that be?" Abby asked.

Matt tuned to Connor and nodded.

"The only explanation I can think of at the moment is that the anomaly opens to the future." Connor explained.

Abby lowered her head. "Great."

"Any creature?" Jenny asked.

"None that we've seen so far, but that doesn't mean nothing's come through." Matt explained. "The good news is that the castle's most likely hiding our presence from the creatures. And with the storm as it is, if anyone goes outside, they won't be seen."

"So what's the bad news?" Jess asked.

"Bad news is that backups at least four hours away without a weather delay." Becker said. "But with the storm going now, it doesn't look like backup will arrive until it clears."

"Which means we can't search the ground for the creatures." Matt explained. "We don't have the resources or the manpower to search the ground at the moment."

"Matt if the plane's grounded, what does that mean for you?" Emily asked.

"It means I'm stayin' here until it clears." Matt answered, clearly unhappy with the issue.

"And what do we do while we're here?" Abby asked.

"Stay inside. Keep an eye out for anything unusual." Matt answered. "If we haven't seen anything by tomorrow, chances are a creature didn't slip through."

"Is it impossible to go one day without being called in?" Connor asked, breaking the heaviness of the conversation. Abby smiled and wrapped her arm around him.

Matt smirked. "Doesn't look that way." He turned to Becker. "How many guns did you bring?"

"Four handguns." Becker answered.

"Nothing bigger?"

"If I'd known I would be working on my days off, I would have brought a shot gun." Becker replied.

Matt nodded. "I've got an extra EMD in the car. Which means one of us will be without a weapon."

Jenny raised her hand. "I'll do that. After all, I'm not exactly employed by the ARC anymore."

Emily walked past the group and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Jess asked.

Emily turned. "Unfortunately to inform Henrietta we can start the rehearsal. If we don't, the creature will be the least of our problems." She turned and walked out of the room.

"What about the ceremony? The girls can't conceal their weapons." Becker said.

Matt glanced to Connor. "But you and Connor can."

"You know, the scary thing is she's right. Zach's mum is scarier than any creature." Connor said.

Jenny nodded. "I'd rather sit through a hundred budget meetings than talk to her."

"At least you're not marrying into any relation to her." Matt said, looking back at the door.

"You're okay with this?" Jess asked.

Matt turned to Jess. "Course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Jess opened her mouth to answer, but the doors opened again. Emily returned with Henrietta leading the way. She stormed down the aisle toward the group. Her face was set hard.

"Alright, we've lost enough time for the rehearsal. Everyone out into the hall and take your place in the procession line." Henrietta ordered. She turned to Matt. "You might as well make yourself useful since you're here. You can stand in the practice seeing as Mr. Lester has yet to show up as has the best man."

"Darling, I'll hold Gregory's place and escort Miss Parker down the aisle." Leonard answered. He winked at Jess, who smiled lightly.

"Fine, then he'll escort Emily down the aisle in Mr. Lester's place." Henrietta stated.

Matt's eyes immediately shot to Emily, who met his gaze. She just paired him up with Emily during the rehearsal. He prayed her heard her wrong.

"Everyone get into your places!" Henrietta ordered.

Guess not.

* * *

><p>okay...who loves the mother-in-law? anyone? no? good!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

The rehearsal was into its third hour. Three hours of utter hell and misery. Henrietta was an all-new sort of evil Matt was forced to endure without a chance of escape. Frankly, Matt would rather face a horde of dangerous creatures than spend another second following Henrietta's orders on the precession. Each run of the precession was repeated. If one thing was right, something else was wrong. Henrietta had stopped the precession several times simply because Becker had started on the wrong foot. Connor had moved out of sync with Abby, causing several more delays. Jess was another story entirely. Matt desperately felt for Jess. Henrietta seemed to enjoy telling Jess how wrong her posture was and how small her steps were. Matt cast the occasional glance in Becker's direction, just to see how he was handling the situation. Needless to say, Becker's hand hovered over his holster. However, Henrietta seemed to have a particularly entertaining time correcting Matt's performance. Not that Matt cared mind you; he wasn't even in the procession.

"Okay, let's do one last run through. And everyone remember their entrances this time." Henrietta ordered. Matt rolled his eyes. She walked to the doors and entered the hall with Zacharias. She closed the doors behind her.

"Charming woman." Matt whispered.

Emily nodded. "Lester seems so good-humored compared to Henrietta."

"Comparing Lester to her is like comparing a Tyrannosaurus to a Velociraptor." Matt replied. "Lester may seem utter terrifying, but she'll kill you without a second thought."

"A little opinionated, don't you think?" Emily asked.

"Begin!" Henrietta called. Jenny and Becker started the procession into the hall.

Matt looked down at Emily.

"Maybe not." Emily replied.

Matt smirked.

Abby and Connor entered next into the hall, followed by Jess and Leonard. The hall doors closed behind them. Blocking Matt and Emily from the hall.

"Your fiancé doesn't seem like his mother." Matt stated.

Emily shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He's much more like his father."

"Sorry I'm late." Lester called, strolling down the hall. "Car trouble."

Matt arched a brow. "You drove the six hours up here?"

"Of course I did. Had to mentally prepare myself for the mother of the groom." Lester said.

"Well you came at a perfect time. Rehearsal's still going and you two are next." Matt explained. He stepped from Emily.

"Oh lovely." Lester said. He took Emily's arm just as the doors opened. Lester led Emily through the archway and into the hall. Matt watched as the easily moved in sync with each other toward the alter. He watched Zacharias as Emily drew nearer to the alter. He watched smile form across his face as he stepped down to meet Emily. Lester carefully placed Emily's hand in Zach's and stepped aside.

"Excellent." Henrietta exclaimed. "That was wonderful!"

Matt turned from the ceremony hall and walked back down the corridor toward the other rooms. He wandered through the corridors until he came to an empty library. He closed the door behind him and inhaled the deep silence. He rubbed his tried eyes. He walked to the empty sofa and sat down. This day anomaly-and day in general- was more than what Matt had bargained for. He leaned his chin on his fists and starred at the dark carpeted floor. He heard the door opened, but didn't look up.

"Matt." The voice caught Matt off guard. He looked to the door and found Zach standing beside it. "Can I talk to you in private?"

Matt nodded briefly. "Sure."

Zach closed the door behind him and walked to the chair beside the sofa. "Look, we know nothing about each other and the only commonality between us is Emily. And frankly that's what I wish to talk to you about."

Matt frowned. "What about Emily?"

"Well, she's always been a little vague on how she came into the job. Actually she's been vague on everything that involves her past." Zach said.

Matt nodded. "Well Emily didn't have an easy life."

"How so?" Zach asked.

"Look, I'm not sure I'm the one to be telling you this." Matt said.

"Emily's already informed me of a previous marriage." Zach stated.

Matt sighed.

"How did Emily get into the job?" Zach asked.

Matt thought for a moment. What was he supposed to say? Should he keep it to the truth as much as possible or lie completely? "A few years back we were notified of a fugitive taking a hostage. He took the hostage to an old cemetery and then tried to kill her by sealing her in one of the stone coffins. The hostage was Emily."

"Dear god." Zach gasped.

"Emily didn't choose this job. The job chose her." Matt explained. "After we rescued Emily, Lester felt she could be helpful to the team. She was."

"How long after that did the two of you come in a relationship?" Zach asked.

"A few months and that how long it lasted." Matt answered quickly.

"So you really came here for work." Zach said.

Matt nodded. "Right. I didn't come here to steal Emily back, or ruin the weddin'. I'm only here because it's my job. And I'll be gone by tomorrow."

"Good to know I don't have to worry about that." Zach smirked.

"You mind if ask you a question?" Matt asked.

"Be my guest." Zach answered.

"How did you two meet?"

Zach chuckled lightly. "At the hospital actually. We were both in the waiting room. She seemed particularly distraught about her friend."

Matt nodded slowly. He remembered that day. A triceratops had slammed one of the cars while someone was inside and continued to trample it. He'd been pinned in the car for several hours before the medics pried him out. Emily had been the one to stay at the hospital while the others continued to wrangle the tops back through the anomaly. It had never occurred to him that he'd been the reason Emily was marrying Zach.

"That's a hell of a chance meeting." Matt said.

Zach nodded. "Yeah, but I think you already know, Emily's one hell of a woman."

Just then the library door opened quickly. Emily entered quickly. Her eyes quickly fell to Matt and Zach's area. Her gaze shifted between the two men, unsure if she should enter.

"And speaking of Emily." Zach said. "Did you need something darling?"

"Um…" Emily shook her head slightly, moving past the surprise. "Your mother was looking for you."

Zach nodded. "Ah, thank you. I'd better go see what she needs." He rose from the chair. "I'll look into finding a room. I doubt you want to share with Connor or Mr. Becker."

"Don't worry about it." Matt said.

Zach walked to the door and stopped when he reached Emily. He quickly kissed her before dashing down the hall.

Emily turned back toward Matt, who was looking at the showered window. "What was that about?"

Matt turned back toward Emily. "What was what?"

"What were you talking about?" Emily repeated.

"Basically, he wanted to know if I'd actually come here to take you from him before the wedding." Matt answered.

Emily folded her arms and hesitantly walked toward the recently emptied chair. "And?"

"And I told him I had no intentions of trying to take you from him." Matt answered, holding her stare. "I only came for the anomaly."

Emily nodded her head and sat down in the chair. "Well, that's good to know."

The door opened suddenly. Jess came rushing in but stopped when she spotted Emily and Matt in across the room from her. "Oh, so sorry. I thought the room was empty."

"Avoiding someone?" Matt asked.

Jess nodded. "Mrs. Sellar."

Emily smiled. "Come in, and close the door behind you."

Jess exhaled deeply, smiling. "Oh thank you. I don't mean to be rude, Emily, but your future mother-in-law is absolutely unreasonable."

Emily nodded. "Zacharias says it's only from the wedding planning."

Jess snorted as she seated herself in the sofa across from Matt. She ran her hands under her legs, smoothing the bottom of her skirt as she sat down. "Emily, I've seen pre-wedding stress. This is not pre-wedding stress. I just hope the two of you don't plan on staying a cities distance from her."

"Absolutely not." Emily answered quickly.

Jess laughed. "Good."

"What exactly is Zach's profession?" Matt asked.

"Zacharias works at his father's law firm officially; however he's a volunteer guide during hiking expeditions." Emily explained.

Matt nodded slowly.

"Becker made a joke about how being a lawyers wife was more dangerous than our job." Jess said.

Suddenly the door opened again.

Abby and Connor looked into the room and paused. "So this is where everyone's hiding."

Emily smiled. "Care to join us?"

"Absolutely." Connor answered before Abby could.

* * *

><p>everybody okay with the chapter length? the contents?<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

The storm still raged well into the night. The power had remained well on throughout the night, without a hint of going out. The rain continued out echoed against the roof and windows of the castle, but it was long since forgotten by most. Everyone had retired hours ago, leaving Matt to wander the dark halls on his own, leaving him to his thoughts.

Matt had returned to the library. He had taken back to the sofa and decided to read, seeing as he wasn't able to sleep. It might have something to do with Connor's snoring, or the fact that he simply wasn't tired. He leaned against the arm of the sofa, reading one of the books he'd found. He hadn't done much recreational reading since he'd arrived in this time, but after stopping Phillip and only having to worry about the anomalies, Matt found extra time he didn't know what to do with. So he'd taken to reading. Unfortunately, tonight's choice was nothing what he'd usually read; romance. Matt had refrained from reading them if he could help it. However nothing else seemed too appealing to read and maybe the book would bore him enough to put him to sleep? Unfortunately after half an hour, he was actually intrigued by the book. Not the characters mind you, but the story. It was startlingly similar to the situation he was in now.

"_Persuasion_ would be the last book I thought you'd read." Came a soft voice.

Matt dropped the book and turned quickly. Dressed in dark violet pajamas stood Emily. Her arms were folded in front of her chest, covered in her matching cover top. She smiled playfully at him. Matt relaxed, laughing at his own restlessness. Emily moved from the doorway to the opposite sofa. She sat down and drew her feet up by her body.

"I never imagined you would read an Austen novel." Emily said. She leaned against the sofa's arm. Her soft curls fell over the arm.

Matt took in her appearance. Emily leaned against the arm of the sofa with her hair draping over the arm. Her legs were drawn up beside her body. Her head was laid over her folded arms as she looked at him. Had he not known her for so long, he never would have known she was a woman of Victorian England. This Emily was different from Lady Emily.

"Now that I think about it," Emily continued, pulling Matt from his thoughts. "I can't recall ever seeing you read before."

Matt smirked, picking up his discarded book. "I never had time to spend on myself before."

"True." Emily said. "Saving the timelines would have a tendency to occupy whatever spare time a person would have."

Matt marked his book and set it on the table between the sofas. "Well, with y reading selection aside, what are doing up?"

Emily adjusted herself on the sofa. "You can read late in the library but I can't?"

"I'm not getting married in the morning." Matt stated.

"True." Emily nodded. Her eyes drifted from him onto the table. She seemed momentarily lost in her own thoughts. She didn't seem to be hiding the fact that something was troubling her. After knowing her for years, Matt knew what to look for when Emily was being evasive in conversation. But this time…this time she wasn't even trying to hide it.

"What's bothering you Emily?" Matt asked.

"I think…I think I'm second-guessing the wedding." Emily whispered.

Matt frowned. He leaned forward. "What?"

Emily looked up from the table. "When I married Henry, I had no say in the matter. Everything had been decided for me. But here, it's nothing like that. I am allowed to freely chose when and whom I marry, the chapel or castle where I wish to marry, and whom I wish to share it with. Between the two I've found this tradition much more unnerving."

Matt nodded, realizing what she meant. "You don't know if you can marry Zach."

Emily nodded slowly. "I'm scared that I'm making another wrong choice for the wrong reason. I'm afraid that in a few years he won't be the same man I married or that I'll change in ways he can't accept. I'm afraid that my time at the ARC will somehow come back into my life and take Zacharias from me."

Matt rose from the couch and moved to the table. He sat down on the table in front of Emily and took her hand. "Em, listen to me. Your time at the ARC is over. It won't come back unless you let it."

Emily shook her head.

"Do you love him?" Matt asked.

Emily frowned. "What?"

"Do you love Zach?" Matt repeated.

Emily nodded. "Yes."

"Then that's all that matters Emily. You love Zach enough to put the ARC behind you. You love him enough to move on with your life. You love him enough you're marryin' him tomorrow." Matt explained. "That's the only difference I see Emily. You love Zach. You didn't love Henry. If you love something enough, you fight for it. Fight to make it work."

"Is that why we didn't work?" Emily asked. "We didn't fight enough?"

Matt paused a moment. "We tried, Emily. We just weren't fighin' for **us**."

"Do you ever miss it? Miss **us**?" Emily asked.

Matt looked into Emily's deep brown eyes. He'd fallen for the look so many times. "I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't."

Emily nodded. "Me too."

"But tomorrow, that's one less thing you need to miss." Matt said, releasing her hand.

Emily chuckled lightly. "Right."

"You should get some sleep. Can't have a tired bride. And just imagine what your mother-in-law would say I she came down here." Matt asked.

Emily winced. "Oh god. That thought alone will give me nightmares."

Matt chuckled.

Emily rose from the sofa. She drew her arms around her body as she walked back to the library door. She turned back around, looking at Matt. "Oh, how far have you read?"

Matt frowned.

"Persuasion." Emily stated.

Matt looked down at the book. "About halfway."

Emily smiled. "Finish it. Good night."

"Night." Matt said watching Emily leave the library. He sighed and picked up the book. He suddenly felt too exhausted to continue reading. He looked at his place and then to the clock; twelve twenty. Matt shook his head. Another night perhaps. He rose from the table and headed toward the stairs.

* * *

><p>aww...next!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, the storm had well enough stopped. The ground was soaked, leaving small puddles on the grounds. Everyone woke in the early hours and began continuing the wedding preparations. Matt kept himself out of the way of the wedding. He spent his time watching the anomaly-which was still closed- while the others prepared themselves. He'd called the ARC and received an ETA on the backup. Once they arrived within the next few hours, Matt would be free to leave the castle and search the grounds before returning back to base. But something was nagging at him. Something Emily had said last night but he just didn't know what. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

"_Jess Parker."_ Jess said.

"I need a favor Jess." Matt said. He could hear Jess smiled on the other end.

"_What do you need?"_ she asked.

"Do you still have my present for them?" Matt asked.

"_In my bag."_ Jess answered.

"Bring it up to me." Matt explained.

"_What?"_ Jess asked.

"Trust me, Jess." Matt replied.

"_Alright. I'll be up in a few minutes."_ Jess said. She hung up.

Matt closed his phone and waited. He looked out at the castle grounds, watching for the backup car. He looked at the grounds closely. Despite the storm system last night, the grounds looked even more alluring. The grass glistened, even in the clouds. He scanned along the grass toward the outer area forest line. Last night had been quiet enough, excluding Zach's wretched mother. No creatures, no missing staff reported, nothing strange. Still, something wasn't right. The anomaly had been open for two hours before Matt had arrived and an hour before Becker had locked it. No anomaly was that easy, something had to have slipped through.

The door to the roof opened. Matt could hear the clacking of high heels before he turned. Jess walked across the roof wearing a deep purple dress. The fabric was overlaid with a layer of black on top of the purple, making it appear darker than it really was. The dress barely reached her knees, which was long by Jess' standards of dresses. A black sash wrapped around the middle of her dress. A purple silk scarf was wrapped around her bare shoulders. Her hair had been curled for the occasion, bouncing with each step she took. Her makeup was done with flattery and subtly. A small pearl choker and matching earrings finished her look.

Jess smiled at him as she reached him. She held out her hand. "Here you go."

Matt took a small box from Jess' hand. He placed it into his coat pocket. "Thanks Jess."

"Are you taking back your present?" Jess asked.

Matt smirked. "No, I'd rather deliver this personally."

Jess nodded slowly. "You know, there's still time."

Matt frowned. "Time for what?"

"Stopping this." Jess whispered.

Matt looked at Jess incredulously. "_'Stopping this'_? You don't think Emily should be gettin' married?"

"No I absolutely believe that Emily should get married. Just not to Zacharias." Jess replied. "Not that I have anything against him. He's a gentleman, and heaven knows the world is lacking in them. But I don't believe he's right for Emily."

"Have you told Emily that?" Matt asked.

"Course not. It's not my place." Jess said.

"And what makes you think I should do something about it Jess?" Matt demanded.

"Because you still care about her." Jess answered.

"Of course I care about her, Jess. Emily's a friend." Matt explained.

"You know what I mean." Jess said.

Matt turned from Jess and looked out at the grounds again.

Jess sighed and looked down. "Backup should be here in ten minutes. The precession starts in ten which gives you fifteen minutes to talk to her. That's your last chance Matt. Don't waste it."

Matt didn't turn around, but he heard Jess leave the roof. He sighed heavily, thumbing the box in his coat pocket. He looked at his watch. Ten minutes until backup arrives and the wedding starts. Anything could happen to the anomaly locking device in ten minutes if left unattended. Backup could even run late to the site. Matt powered down his EMD and turned from the anomaly. He moved quickly across the roof toward the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Matt stood in the foyer of the hall, waiting with Becker and Connor. The room was decorated to match the wedding. Garlands of violet flowers were wrapped around the poles of the banister. A deep burgundy aisle runner ran from the stop of the steps onto the floor. Matt stood near the bottom of the staircase, occasionally glancing up at the entrance.

"You know Matt, if I didn't know any better, I would've thought you're the nervous groom instead of Sellar." Becker said. He and Connor were dressed in identical suits. His vest and tie were matching shades of dark purple. Their coats were buttoned with a small lavender rose boutonniere.

Matt turned to Becker. "Is that so?"

"If watching the stairwell every five seconds isn't enough then I don't know what is." Becker replied.

Matt smirked lightly. He caught the sound of walking heels from above. "Yeah well, try not to be too obvious Becker."

"About what?" Becker asked.

Matt didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked up at the stairwell. Becker followed Matt's eyes and looked up. One by one Jenny, Abby, and Jess walked through the archway into the stairwell. Each one of the ladies wore an identical dress in color and style. Even the black sashes around their midriffs matches. They carried small bouquets of lavender roses, astillbe's, and agapnathus'. Matt turned from the girls and watched Becker. He smiled to himself and turned.

Connor whistled loudly. "Wow."

Abby smiled and walked over to him. "Like what you see?"

Connor nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I've seen you in purple."

Abby rolled her eyes and playfully hit him in the arm. "Connor."

"Better be careful Connor, women are very dangerous in heels." Jenny said smiling.

"Nah, Abby's just dangerous in general." Connor replied.

Matt chuckled.

Jess was the last one to walk down the stairs. Becker walked to the base of the stairs and took Jess' hand as she stepped off the last step. Jess looked up in surprise but quickly smiled.

Becker quickly released Jess' hand. "You look stunning."

Jess smiled again, lowering her face from Becker. "Thank you. You too. I mean you look…very attractive…no! Um…you looked very different. Not that different is a bad thing it's just…the suits a change from what you usually wear. It makes you look… lovely." Jess closed her eyes and mouth, not wanting to embarrass herself further.

Becker chuckled lightly.

"Jess Parker?" asked a voice.

Becker and Jess both turned their heads. A tall man walked up to them. His short blond hair was styles with an unusual amount of gel. He wore a tailored suit like Connor and Becker. His coat was unbuttoned and his shirt was untucked from his pants.

"I'm Gregory Wallis. The best man." He introduced, holding out his hand.

Jess held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Gregory took Jess' hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "I apologize for not escorting you in rehearsals, but I'm glad I could see your entrance."

"Um…thank you?" Jess answered, unsure if she enjoyed the compliment.

Gregory released her hand. "Henrietta wanted me to tell everyone that the precession starts in a few minutes. Everyone needs to stand in order with their partners." Gregory took Jess' arm without asking her and escorted her across the foyer. Becker watched in fury, but he could do nothing. Instead he walked toward the front doors of the ceremony hall.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Matt whispered.

"Whatever." Becker replied.

Matt chuckled to himself. "Did you manage to hide your guns?"

Becker nodded. "Two ankle holsters. Connor has the other two."

"Henrietta catch the hip holster?"

Becker nodded again. "Yeah. So let's hope nothing happens."

Matt nodded. "Right. I'll let you know when the sweep of the grounds if finished."

"Right." Becker said.

Jenny joined Becker's side. "Shall we?"

Becker took Jenny's right arm.

Matt walked from Becker toward the end of the foray. He nodded to Connor and Abby who stood several paces behind Becker and Jenny. Matt watched Gregory carefully as he moved behind him. Jess seemed slightly uncomfortable with Gregory, occasionally glancing in Matt's direction. Matt smirked, forming a plan in his mind.

"Jess, I heard your ex was finally discharged from the hospital a few days ago." He said.

Gregory and Jess both turned.

"What was that?" Gregory asked.

Matt shrugged. "I just heard from a colleague that Jess' ex-boyfriend was finally released."

"What happened to him?" Gregory asked.

"Apparently he was threatening her, even broke into her flat." Matt explained. "What he didn't know is that Jess has her own private army at her call."

Gregory raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"Just ask Becker." Matt said a little louder. Becker turned hearing his name. "Poor man never stood a chance against him. Broke his jaw and arm in twenty seconds."

Gregory looked up to Becker. Becker met Gregory's look for a moment before hardening his look. Gregory quickly turned from Becker's gaze, looking away from Jess.

Jess looked over her shoulder and mouth 'thank you'.

Matt nodded.

Soft music echoed though the closed doors. Everyone straightened their posture and linked arms with their partner. The doors opened to the hall. Jenny and Becker started the precession. They walked in sync with each other. Matt smirked as he watched Becker walked with his right arm behind his back. Abby and Connor came up next. Despite how uncoordinated Connor had a tendency to be, he was well times with Abby in every step.

Matt leaned against the back door watching Jess slip into the room. The doors closed behind her, but Matt got a glimpse at the guests and the others at the far end. He sighed to himself and stared up at the ceiling, warring with himself. He could leave the box on the table and never have to see her. Then, to his left, Matt could hear the soft echoing of shoes. He battled with himself whether to look or not, finally deciding to look. He turned his head toward the double stair case just as losing his breath the moment his eyes fell upon Emily.

Emily was always a beautiful woman, but the sight Matt was gazing at now couldn't compare. Her dress was soft lace, falling along her curves. On the skirt, three small tiers of lace fell on top of one another until they hit the ground. The bodice was strapless and had a soft lace edged sweetheart neckline. Emily's dark curls were partially up to hold her lace trimmed veil, but the remainder of her hair fell against her bare back. Her right hand gripped the rail while her left hand held the skirt of her dress as she stepped down each stair with caution. Her face was set full of concentration, but still soft.

Before Matt realized that he'd moved, he found himself several feet from the last step, meeting Emily at the bottom. Emily looked up, clearly surprised to see him so close. But her surprise was quickly diminished into uncertainty.

Matt smiled lightly. "You look beautiful."

Emily smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"I thought I'd give you your weddin' present now." Matt said. He reached into his coat pocket.

Emily frowned. "Should you be doing that?"

He pulled out a small box, no bigger than his phone size. He held it out toward Emily. "Actually, it was more for the ceremony."

Emily took the box from Matt and lifted the lid. Inside the box was a small fluff of cotton. Lying on top of the cotton was a coin. Emily picked up the coin and examined it.

"_Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue-_"

"_And a silver sixpence in your shoes._" Emily finished. She looked back at Matt. "Thank you."

Matt nodded. "I thought I'd help you keep the tradition alive."

"You're more than welcome to stay for the ceremony." Emily replied.

Matt shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I never really was a fan of weddin's. Besides, backup arrived and the grounds still need to be searched."

Emily gave a sad smile and nodded. She bent down and slipped the coin into the strap of her shoes. She rose back up and straightened her dress. She picked up her large bouquet of white gardenias, roses, stephanotis', and ivy.

"I want to congratulate you Emily. And I hope you'll be happy with Zach." Matt said.

Emily smiled again.

"Making one final attempt to steal the bride Mr. Anderson?" Lester said, appearing from what seemed like nowhere.

Matt stepped away from Emily. "No sir. Just giving my blessings before I head back."

"Ah what would life be like without the blessings of friends and colleagues?" Lester stated.

Matt frowned. Lester had never said anything that didn't involve sarcasm. But this definitely didn't hold a drop of sarcasm to it.

"Well," Lester said. He held out his arm to Emily. "I do believe we are next Emily. Matt, do make sure those techs haven't burnt the ARC to the ground. I'll be in tomorrow."

Matt nodded. "Yes sir."

Through the doors, they could hear the music changing. Signaling the final moment of the precession. Lester and Emily walked to the door. Emily held Lester's arm as they waited. She glanced back to Matt as he walked to the door. Matt glanced back over his shoulder toward Emily. She gave him a brief smile, which he was more than willing to return, just before the doors opened. Emily broke the gaze first. Matt watched as her radiant smile returned and quickly vanished as Lester led her into the hall.

Matt turned and walked out of the castle. He jogged down the entrance steps and hoped into the truck. He reached for his ear piece and linked himself with the teams. He leaned back in his seat and sighed heavily. He gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white. What the bloody hell was he thinking? Emily was getting married for crying out loud. Why was he still debating this? They'd tried…and failed. She moved on, she was happy. She deserved to be happy. He didn't have a right to interfere with that. It was the right thing to do. So why the hell was his chest aching so badly? Why did he feel like he'd taken a hit from an EMD?

Matt released the wheel and set his right arm against the door. He covered his eyes with his hand and closed them tight. He knew why he was staying. He knew very well why he hadn't started the truck and sped away. He'd known since the moment she'd left the first time. He loved her. He still loved her. Damnit.

Matt snorted to himself. "What the hell."

He grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. He climbed out of the truck and moved back toward the front doors again. Matt hopped up the steps and reached for the door. His hand grabbed the handle tightly. He looked up just as he was ready to open the door. In the reflection of the window, Matt spotted the extended figures of predators scampering across the grounds toward him.

* * *

><p>tsk tsk...party crashers...FUN TIME!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

The doors opened once again. Emily and Lester stood ready behind them. Becker watched closely as his boss escorted his colleague down the aisle. His glance shifted between Emily and Zach. But as he watched Zach, something struck Becker. This was wrong. Emily smiled as Zach and Zach smiled back at her, but their smiles were only skin deep. Becker had been able to read most people for years, and working with Emily for some time gave him a better edge over reading her. So as he looked at her smile as she reached Zach, he knew that this was wrong. The entire wedding was wrong.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Emily Merchant and Zacharias Sellar in marriage. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family; and so they have decided to live together as husband and wife." The pastor began.

Becker shook his head. This had to be stopped.

"_Guys we have a serious incursion!"_ Matt yelled.

Becker's eyes snapped across toward Jess and Abby. Both had heard the message from Matt. Even Emily had heard. Her smile had fallen and her eyes and grown wide in surprise. Connor looked over his shoulder at Becker.

Becker moved in front of Emily and Zacharias. "Everyone needs to evacuate the room now!"

The guests all frowned and a flurry of questions erupted.

Suddenly the windows shattered into a furry of glass shards. Guests screamed and covered themselves from the shower. Two massive creature burst into the hall. Their bodies were tall and lanky, reaching about two meters high. It moved around on the knuckles of its claws. Its dome head turned around quickly, scouting the area. One creature opened its mouth and shrieked loudly into the room.

The guests screamed and sprang from their seats. They scattered in the hall, rushing for the exits. Becker dropped to the ground and pulled out his two handguns. He fired several shots. The predators leapt from the ground avoiding the shots, and giving the guests rooms to evacuate quickly. Connor followed the motion and tossed one across the platform to Abby. Jenny and Emily ushered guests closer to the front out the back exit.

The two predators shrieked above. They were hanging onto the chandelier fixtures on the ceiling. Becker aimed again, but one dropped before he could get a shot. The predator leapt along the ground, avoiding Becker's aim. The predator slipped out the doors into the castle hall. Becker ran after it quickly, leaving the others to deal with the second predator.

"Matt we've got two predators in the castle." Abby said.

"_I know. I've got one outside with me."_ Matt replied.

"Where are you?" Abby asked. She could hear some kind of noises on Matt's end of the comms.

"_In the car. I can't get a shot."_ Matt explained.

"Abby I can't get a shot." Connor called.

Abby looked up. The predator was leaping around the ceiling. It was moving too quickly for Connor's aim. She looked around quickly. If the predator dropped down, they wouldn't stand a chance. Suddenly she got an idea. Abby aimed her gun at the window and fired. The bullet ripped through the glass, sending a rain of glass shards clattering to the floor. The predator shrieked madly above. It thrashed its head around violently. Abby smirked. She fired at the next window. The glass shattered, causing the predators to shriek again.

"That's good!" Connor said. He aimed at the thrashing predator, but he still couldn't get a shot off.

Jess grabbed the unity candle from the alter and threw it through the closest window. She grabbed the candlestick holder and rant o the windows. She smashed the glass, sending a shower of glass onto the floor.

The predator shrieked loudly. It finally dropped to the floor several meters from Connor. Connor and Abby quickly fired at the creature. The predator jerked as the bullets ripped through its body. It toppled onto the floor in a heap and went limp. Abby and Connor lowered their guns. Abby sighed heavily. Jess lowered her arm from the next window, still clutching the candlestick holder.

"One predator down." Abby said into her comm.

Suddenly a loud cry echoed into the room. Connor, Abby, and Jess all looked toward the door. Jess swallowed harshly, It had sounded like Becker. She took off running toward the door.

"JESS!" Abby called.

* * *

><p>Becker stood at the far end of one of the corridors leading to the next wing. He moved slowly down the corridor. He's seen the predator move through the archway leading into the corridor just seconds before he followed after it. The moment he'd entered the corridor, he'd lost sight of the predator. Becker cursed under his breath and continued moving through the corridor. He couldn't afford to lose sight of the creature now. Too many people were on the grounds; too many lives were at stake here.<p>

Becker moved along the west wall, moving down the corridor. He leaned against the wall. From the entrance to the end, there was nothing in the hall but him. How could the predator escape him without notice? It didn't make sense.

A deep reptilian growl echoed above. Becker felt his heart stop. He'd forgotten to search the ceiling. The damn thing was above him the entire time. Becker swallowed nervously, he'd have to move fast if he wasn't to survive. He gripped his handguns tightly, preparing to move. The growl grew closer, almost a meter above him.

Becker lunged across the corridor to the opposite side and turned simultaneously. But the predators was already on top of him. The creature slammed into him, slamming Becker against the wall. Becker grunted as he hit the wall. The predator bit down in Becker's right shoulder, sinking its knife-like teeth through his skin. Becker cried out in pain. He grit his teeth and fire at the predator. The predator released Becker's shoulder, jerked Becker to the side in the process. Becker's left handgun slipped from his grasp and slid down the hall from him. Becker sank to the ground, covering his right shoulder. His blood seeped through his fingers, running on the inside of his coat. He exhaled through his teeth, trying to ignore the searing pain in his shoulder.

The predator dropped from the walls several meters away on his right. Becker walked as the predator slowly moved toward him. Becker grit his teeth and raised his right arm. He fired several shots at the predator, but the creature evaded each one. Each motion the creature made brought it closer to Becker. Becker fired again, only to empty his chamber. He dropped his empty gun and looked for this second. The second handgun was meters away, too far for him to apprehend before the predator pounced on him. Becker moved himself along the wall, trying to put as much distance between himself and the incoming predator.

Suddenly a window pane shattered down the hall. The predator moved from Becker shrieking in pain. Becker looked back to see Jess moving down the corridor. She held a metal candlestick holder in her right hand. She smashed in through the glass again, causing the predator to shriek. Unfortunately, there were few glass panes in the corridor.

The predator growled, gazing in Jess' direction. Jess stood her grounds, watching the creature closely. She'd read the file on the creatures attitude. It saw with sonar, seeing the heartbeat of its prey. Which would either be her or Becker. And seeing how Becker was between her and the predator, Becker would be the likelier of targets.

"Jess get out of here!" Becker ordered.

The predator turned back toward Becker and snarled.

Jess hurled the candlestick at the predator, hitting eh creature in the head. "Over here!"

The predator snarled and lunged toward Jess. It moved fast past Becker, hurling itself toward Jess. Jess watched the creature come closer, biding her time. She bit her lip and hurled herself into a dive roll beneath the creature. She rolled right beside Becker's discarded gun and picked it up. Jess rolled onto her stomach and fired at the predator. The creature turned and jerked as its body was barraged with bullets. It shrieked and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Jess exhaled deeply. She pushed herself up from the floor and moved to Becker's side.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Becker asked.

Jess rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a 'thank you'."

"That creature could've easily-ahh" Becker's sentence was cut short as Jess prodded his injured shoulder.

"We need to get you to the medics." Jess said. "Take your coat off, we can use it to slow the bleeding down.

"It's fine, Jess." Becker said.

"'_Just a bite'_ right?" Jess looked at him.

For the first time, Becker took a good look at her. Her gaze was hard but fearful. She almost looked close to tear. She was absolutely scared. Becker had never seen Jess look so terrified before. Becker slipped his left arm out of his coat. With Jess' help, they quickly slipped his coat off his right arm. Jess covered his shoulder with his coat and used her black sash to partially secure it around his shoulder.

"We need to regroup with the others." Jess said. She helped Becker rise to his feet. Becker winced at the movements, but said nothing.

"Thanks Jess." Becker said.

Jess smiled slightly. She held out the handgun. "I think you should have this back."

Becker shook his head. "You have a better shot than me at the moment. You keep it."

They quickly started moving back through the corridor. Jess kept the handgun aimed on the predator as they passed it.

"By the way, where'd you learn to shoot?" Becker asked.

Jess smiled again. "Believe it or not, I've known how to shoot since I was ten."

"You're joking." Becker stated.

Jess shook her head. "Nope. My dad loves hunting and he always takes my brother and I with him. We always make a game of who's kill is the biggest."

Becker glanced down at Jess. "How many times have you won?"

Jess looked up. "Five years."

Becker smirked. She never ceased to amaze him.

* * *

><p>Jenny and Emily closed the door to the ceremony hall. They turned and raced up the spiral staircases to the second floor. They could hear several shots fired behind them. But no one dared to go back.<p>

"What are those things?" Emily asked.

"Predators. From the future." Jenny explained.

They reached the second floor and followed behind Zacharias and his family. Emily and Jenny frequently glanced back at the door as they moved through the hall. Emily grabbed the closest door and turned the handle. The door opened into one of the reserved rooms.

"Over here!" Emily called.

Zach turned. "What are you doing?"

"You need to stay here and barricade the doors and windows." Emily ordered. She moved to pass him.

Zach grabbed her forearm. "Where are you going?"

"To help the others." Emily answered.

Zach frowned. "What? What do you know about these creatures?"

"More than you think, Zacharias." Emily said. She freed her arm from Zach's grasp. "You'll be safe there, go!"

Before Zach could resist further, Emily turned again and raced down the halls. She held the skirt of her dress up to keep herself from tripping over it as she ran. Jenny followed behind her.

"You should stay with them." Emily said.

"What and miss the excitement?" Jenny asked jokingly. "Not a chance."

"We need to lure the creatures through the anomaly." Emily said.

"These creatures are too dangerous to send back through the anomaly." Jenny explained. "Chances are the others have already killed them."

A growled echoed through the hallways behind them. The women stopped moving and looked behind them. A predator was hanging on the walls, moving toward them. Jenny watched wide eyed as the predator moved down the hall.

"Emily, run!" Jenny said. She turned and pushed Emily back down the hallway.

The girls raced through the hallway. They could hear the predator moving along the wall after them. Jenny grabbed a vase off one of the decorative tables and threw it behind them. The vase shattered in front of the predator. The sound momentarily stopped the creature, but only for a few seconds.

"Noise disrupts their sight." Jenny explained. She grabbed something Emily could not see and smashed it through the glass mirror.

Behind them, the predator shrieked, stalling in the hallway. Jenny and Emily stopped in the hall, just at the mouth of the staircase archway. They turned back, looking at the creature. Jenny grabbed a metal decorative dish and slammed the items together. The predator shrieked, thrashing in the hall. It clawed at the walls and furniture.

"GO find the others." Jenny said.

"I'm not leaving you." Emily said. She grabbed Jenny's arm and pulled her toward the archway.

Suddenly the predator lunged at them. Emily and Jenny stumbled through the archway. Emily pushed Jenny out of the predators reach. Jenny dropped the dish and the decorative weapon, letting them clatter to the floor. Emily dove around the pillar, just inches from the predator's claws. The predator came around the pillar and lunged for Emily. Emily moved back quickly, underestimating the top step. Her foot slipped off it, sending her tumbling down the staircase. Emily stumbled off the steps and continued rolling a meter from it. She landed on her back. She winced and looked up. The predator shrieked and leapt off the railing toward her. There was nowhere for her to run in the seconds it would take for the predator to pounce on her. Emily watched in horror as the creature came down toward her.

* * *

><p>anyone lost?<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Matt turned around quickly. His gaze shifted from the four predators racing toward the castle. He reached for his EMD, only to remember it was in the car. Matt ran from the door and pulled out the car. He climbed in and closed it just as the first predator landed on the roof of the car. The car jerked from the force of the impact.

"Guys we have a serious incursion!" Matt yelled into the comm.

The predator slammed its claw on top of the roof. The roof dented inward from the force, just above Matt's head. Matt ducked down from the dent and moved from the front seat. He grabbed his EMD from between the front seats and turned it on. The high pitch buzz echoed in the silent car. The predators moved along the roof of the car. Matt shrunk low against the back seat, aiming his EMD at the roof.

"_Matt we've got two predators in the castle."_ Abby said.

"I know I've got one outside with me." Matt replied.

"_Where are you?" _Abby asked.

"In the car. I can't get a shot." Matt explained.

The car jerked again. Suddenly it was silent. Matt slowly rose from the seat. He looked around the car, but he couldn't see the predator anywhere. Matt grabbed the door handed and opened it. He cautiously climbed out of the car. He leaned against the car and moved around. He could still hear gun shots from inside the castle. Matt crouched behind the car and moved toward the hood of the car.

The predator shrieked loudly, alerting Matt to its location. It was hanging onto the outer wall of the castle. It leapt from the castle and fell several meters from Matt. Matt readied to fire, but the creature moved again. Matt followed the creature, but it moved too fast for him to get a clean shot. Matt glanced at the car and thought of a plan. He pulled out his keys and pressed the red button. The car alarm sounded loudly. The predator stopped leaping. It shrieked loudly in pain. It ran around in agony, unable to see anything beyond the sounds of the car.

Matt aimed his EMD and fired several shots at the predator. The shots hit dead on. The predator staggered backwards onto the ground. It lay completely motionless on the ground as the black vehicles pulled up to its body. Several men climbed out of the vehicle and looked at the creature. Matt silenced the car alarm.

"Make sure that thing doesn't wake up." Matt ordered. He turned from the car and ran up the castle steps. He pulled open the front door.

Immediately his eyes found the predator in midair leaping for Emily. Matt quickly raised his EMD and fired. The predator was thrown backwards. It slammed into the railing and collapsed on top of the table, crushing it. Matt moved inside and pulled Emily to her feet. He pulled her behind him and moved back from the predator.

The predator rose form the crushed table and snarled. Matt fired again, only to have the creature leap out of its path. Matt and Emily looked up, following the predator's movements on the ceiling. It leapt around them, avoiding the aim of the EMD. It snarled at them threateningly. Matt aimed the EMD at the window behind them and fired. The glass shattered instantly. The predator shrieked in agony, dropping from the walls onto the staircase.

Several gunshots rang out in the hallway. Abby and Connor had appeared on Matt's right while Jess and Becker appeared on his left with Jenny. The shots all his the predator. The creature shrieked and jerked with the impact. It collapsed on the stairwell and stumbled onto the ground floor in front of them. For a moment, they stood in the hall in silence.

Matt exhaled deeply. "Nice work."

* * *

><p>and...breathe...<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

The entire ceremony had been ruined. Chairs had been tossed aside in the hurry to escape the room. Ribbons and flowers were scattered and trampled all about the floor. The aisle runner was askew in the center of the room. The floral decorated trellis at the altar had been broken in pieces. Glass was scattered about the floor, sparkling. The disastrous appearance of the room shocked Emily. She remembered how Jenny's room had looked after the Hyaenodons had rampaged through it. But in comparisons to this room, Emily believe this was significantly in greater damage. She looked down at her own appearance. The skirt of her dress had been ripped into ribbons, exposing her right leg up to her thigh. Standing in the room, Emily felt like she belonged. She appeared to be as out of place as her destroyed venue appeared.

"You're not a bounty hunter," Zacharias said from across the room. "Are you?"

Emily turned, facing Zacharias. "No. I'm not."

"Was there any truth to what you told me?" he asked.

"Yes. I worked for the government; I worked with these people, my friends. I was in a relationship with Matt for a brief time before I left." Emily explained.

Zacharias nodded slowly. "So what exactly is your job?"

Emily took a deep breath. It was time to be honest. After everything that had happened, he deserved to know the truth. "Gateways in time open here. They lead to many different timelines. The Jurassic, Pliocene, the eighteen hundreds, even the future. Sometime, creatures and even people slip through into our time. It's our job to return them back to their own time."

"You didn't today." Zacharias stated.

"No. These creatures are from a hostile future. They were too dangerous to return." Emily answered.

"You said people come through these gateway." Zacharias said. "What kind of people?"

"People like myself." Emily answered. "I came through an anomaly leading to the eighteen hundreds."

"Why didn't you go back?" Zacharias asked.

Emily looked from Zacharias for the first time.

Zacharias lowered his head." He was the reason, wasn't he?

Emily nodded. "I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner."

"Why would you? You obviously didn't trust me enough." Zacharias said. He turned from Emily.

"That's not why." Emily snapped. "I couldn't tell you because I didn't want to lose you."

Zacharias turned back toward Emily.

"But I realized that I already lost you." Emily said. She walked toward Zacharias. "I thought that I could walk away from the ARC. I thought I could move on with my life and never look back. I was wrong. I was wrong to ever leave. This job is what I came into; it's part of who I am. But I can't be a part of this team...and be with you."

Zacharias frowned. "What are you saying?"

Emily reached down to her left hand and slipped off her diamond accented engagement ring. She took Zacharias' hand and placed the ring into his palm. "I never should have things go so far. You're a good man, Zacharias. But I'm not the woman you think I am. And you're not the man I need."

Zacharias looked up at Emily. He seemed at war with himself. Battling between anger and hurt. "You're making a mistake Emily."

Emily shook her head. "My mistake was hurting you like this. This is the first thing I'm doing right."

Zacharias closed his fist around the ring. He tuned from Emily and walked down the aisle. He never looked back as he leaved the room and closes the door behind him.

Emily sighed deeply, once again alone in the remnants of her almost wedding. She turned back to the alter, where a white grand piano is settled. She walks over slowly, biding her time. The music is strewn about the floor with everything else, but Emily manages to find the pieces of one full accompaniment. She organizes the pages into the right order and sets herself down on the bench. She couldn't remember the last time she played the piano. Certainly before marrying Henry so many years ago. Emily placed her hands on top of the ivory keys. She looked at the sheet music and started playing. The room filled with the soft music of the piano as she played. Emily recognized the music as her march. Emily had liked the piece, but the pianist had played it took fast for her liking. Emily hit each chord at a slower pace, making the song flow more smoothly. She looked down at the keys every few seconds and she play, moving closer to the keys. Emily moved with the music, letting the slow rhythm guide her. Her fingers hit the final key, allowing the end of the song to fade off into the silence.

"Well it wouldn't be a real weddin without a proper fight, would it?"


	11. Chapter 11

Matt walked toward the ambulance. Becker was seated in the back with the others around the entrance. The medics had removed his shirt in order to reach his wound. His shoulder was covered in gauze and medical tape holding it in place. His bloody shirt and jacket lay in his lap. Becker's left hand was at the base of the bandages.

"Scouting teams haven't found anything other creatures." Matt said.

"The preliminary autopsy depicted all the predators that came through were male. And knowing that, chances are there's no nest or female somewhere out there." Abby explained.

Matt nodded. "What's the story the press will hear?"

"A team of thieves broke onto the ground the interrupted the ceremony, ransacking and damaging the castle." Jess explained, trying to hide her smirked.

Matt smirked. "I guess we can let that one slide. How did the guests manage?"

"Scared to death but no injuries. The last of them are leaving now." Connor explained.

Matt turned to Becker. "How're you doin' Becker?"

"I've had worse, but if you try to hit my arm I will kill you." Becker warned.

Matt chuckled.

Lester joined the team by the ambulance. "Well it looks like nothing left in life is sacred."

Everyone exchanged glances with one another.

"Still, everyone favored well." Lester continued. "I'll expect you all at the airport in two hours. If you're not there, you're finding your own transport back to London." He strolled from the ambulance to his waiting car.

"Does anyone else think there's two sides to Lester?" Connor asked.

"Lester's enough without dealing with different personalities." Becker replied.

Abby and Jenny laughed.

Matt looked around the area and frowned. "Has anyone seen Emily?"

"I saw her a few minutes ago in the ceremony hall with Zacharias." Jess answered.

"That's weird cause his family's leavin' in a few minutes." Connor said.

Matt turned toward the castle entrance. Zach came through the doorway in a rush. He looked furious and hurt. Matt watched him move quickly to one of the cars and climb in. the car pulled away from the castle. Matt looked back at the castle. He walked from the ambulance and up the entrance steps. He walked into the castle. The moment he entered, he heard the muffled sound of piano music. He turned his head toward the ceremony hall. Matt slowly opened the door and slipped inside. The music was louder. Matt recognized it from the ceremony, Emily's wedding march.

Speaking of Emily, Matt spotted her sitting at the white grand piano, playing the beautiful music. He'd never seen her play before, never knew she could. Her dress was torn, exposing her right leg and thigh as she played. He walked slowly toward the alter, watching Emily as she continued playing. He watched how she moved with the music. Her back bent slightly over the keys as her fingers danced over them. Her head titled in concentration. Her fingers played the last chord, letting it fade into silence.

"Well it wouldn't be a real weddin' without a proper fight, would it?" he asked.

Emily closed the lid. "No, I suppose not."

"Zach left a few moments ago. I'm surprised you didn't go with him." He said.

Emily rose from the piano and turned toward him. "I thought perhaps, I'd stay behind and help."

Matt tiled his head slightly. "It's not your job anymore, Emily."

"I know. I just thought I'd offer my assistance if it was needed." Emily replied.

"Thanks for the offer, but everythin's taken care of." Matte explained. "Lester wants us at the airport in two hours, so we'll be leavin' soon."

Emily walked from the alter beside Matt. "I wanted to thank you for coming back to warn us about the creatures."

Matt shook his head. "I didn't."

Emily looked up and frowned. "What?"

"I didn't come to warn everyone." Matt said. He looked at Emily. "I came back to stop the weddin'."

Emily's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"I wasn't gonna let you marry him." Matt repeated. "I couldn't."

Emily opened her mouth.

Matt held up his hand. "Just let me say this, Emily. I only came here to deal with the anomaly. I was perfectly acceptant of the fact that you were getting' married." He paused, lowering his head for a moment. He looked back up at Emily. "I love you. And I can accept the fact that you'd rather marry a lawyer. God knows it's safer than the ARC. But if this is that last chance I have to tell you before you marry Zach then I'm gonna take it."

Emily looked up at him in shock. Matt turned from Emily and walked toward the door. Emily watched him storm out of the room in a hurry. She grabbed the skirt of her dress and ran after him. She weaved around the strewn chairs and ribbons, following Matt out of the room. Matt walked already through the front entrance archway by the time Emily reached the door.

"Matt!" Emily called. She hurried after him. She jogged out of the entrance.

Matt walked already walking toward his car.

"You inconsiderate prat!" Emily called. "What makes you think you can say all that and just walk away?"

Matt stopped and turned back toward her. "You've obviously made your decision, Emily. What more is there?"

"Did you ever consider the fact that I wasn't going to marry him today?" Emily asked.

Matt's hard gaze faltered. "What?"

"I wasn't going to marry Zacharias." Emily repeated.

Matt walked back up several steps toward Emily.

"I thought that I when I left the ARC, I could everything behind. You, the creatures, my past, all of it. When I met Zacharias, I thought that it would actually work. I could move on and never look back." Emily explained. "But then you asked me if I love him."

"You said yes." Matt stated.

Emily nodded. "I did. But I was wrong. I realized that everything I loved about him, everything that had attracted me to him, was completely based from you."

Matt frowned.

"I fell in love with the qualities of you I saw in him. I didn't love him." Emily finished. She stepped down one step, bringing herself only inches from Matt. "I was wrong to think that I could ever move on from you. I love you Matt."

The second those words left her lips, Matt closed the distance between them. His hand reached behind her head, bringing her toward him. His lips met hers instantly as his left arm moved around her waist. The fingers on Emily's right hand faintly traced lines down Matt's cheek. So much time had been wasted with unsaid words. So much had been threatened between them. No more.


End file.
